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Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes (banchan) that accompany the ubiquitous steam-cooked short-grain rice and soup. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. Kimchi is a fermented, spicy vegetable dish usually made of baechu, radish, or cucumber. At least one type of kimchi is served as banchan at virtually every meal, year-round. It is also a common ingredient in other Korean recipes. Korean food is usually seasoned with sesame oil, doenjang (fermented soybean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger and gochujang (red chili paste). Korea is the largest consumer of garlic, ahead of the rest of Asia (particularly China and Thailand, excluding Japan) and the Northern Mediterranean (mainly Spain, Italy, and Greece).
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